Starting mechanism for internal-combustion engines



N. A. CHRISTENSEN.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8,1916. 1,336,616, htented Apr. 13, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- N. A. CHRISTENSEN.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION. FILED MAY 8.1916.

1,336,6 1 6 I. Patented Apr. 13, 1920c 3 SHEETS-'SHEET 2- I wave /(1307 WM, W, Z of 1 Maw M N. A. CHRISTENSEN.

STARTlNG MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGJNES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. 1916.

1,336,6 1 6. Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

NIELS ANTON CHRISTENSEN, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

, STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTEENALCGHBUSTION ENGIIIES.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patent-ed Apr. 13, 1920.

Driginal application filed June 1, 1911, Serial No. 830,630. Divided and this application filed may 8, 1916. I Serial No. 96,011.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Nuns A. Crrnrsrnnsax, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in-the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Startin Mechanism for Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates more particularly to compressed fluids as distinguished from mechanical or electrical starting devices.

in common with other devices of this class its main object is to avoid the labor.

trouble and danger incident to cranking and starting internal combustion engines by hand, and auxiliary to such main object, further objects of the invention, are to compress the starting fluid by the power of the engine to which the starting mechanism is applied; to enable the starting mechanism to remain inactive and thus avoid unnecessary wear thereof and consumption of power during the normal operation of the engine; to facilitate stopping and starting the compressor or the distributing valve mechanism; and generally to improve the construction and operation of'apparatus of this class.

The invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

in the accompanying drawing like characters designate the same parts in the several figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of a i-cylinder internal combustion engine to which starting mechanism embodying the invention is applied; Fig. 2 is a front end eleration of the engine and starting mechanism, the compressor being shown in vertical section on the line 22, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 33, Figs. 2 and 4, of mechanism for starting and stopping the compressor; Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line M, Fig. 3; Fig. 5is an enlarged section on the line 5-5, Fig. 6, of the distributing valve mechanism: Fig. 6 is a section thereof on the line 6-43, Fig. 5 and "l; and Fig. *3

is a section on the line 7-7, Fig. 6, showing one of the distributing valves opened by the valve actuating cam.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 designates the cylinders and 2 the crank shaft of a 4-cylinder, i-cycle internal combustion engine of a common design to which the starting mechanism is applied.

Distributing valve mechanism 3, hereinafter described, is connected by pipes 4 through outwardly opening check valves 5, for delivering the compressed starting fluid, such as air, gas or an explosive mixture of air and oil vapor or gas, to the cylinders of the engine on the firing or working strokes of the pistons.

Referring to Figs. 2,. 3 and i, the starting' mechanism comprises a compressor 6. having a piston '7, actuated by a crank 8, which may be connected manually or by an automatic fluid pressure controller with a constantly rotating member of the engine, such as the magneto driving shaft 9. For this purpose a. ro-

tary and reciprocative clutch member 10, loosely confined in a bfiallllggfif' housing between the compressor crank shaft and the shaft 9, is shown in Fig. 2. This clutch member is provided at one end with a tongue which is in constant engagement with a cross slot in the crank shaft, and is provided at the other end with a shorter tongue which is adapted to be shifted into and out of engagement with a cross slot in the shaft 9. llhe member 10 is formed "with circular rack teeth meshing with a pinion 11 on a short shaft 12, arranged transversely to the axis of the clutch member 10 and provided, as shown in Fig. 3, with a pinion 13. The pinion 13 meshes, as shown in Figs. 3 and a, withv rack teeth on a piston or movable member 14, of a cylinder or pressure chamber 15,

which is attached to the compressor case or frame. The piston or part 14 is preferably madetubular or hollow, being open at one end and closed at the other end, which has a small opening or leak passage 18, as shown in Fig. l. T he cylinder or chamber 15 is provided at the end adjacent to the closed end of the piston, with a port 17, and at the opposite end with a packing disk or 18, against which the open end of the piston bears when it is shifted into position to start the compressor. Then the piston is pressed against this diskor ring, a fluid tight joint is formed around the open end of the piston, for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The pinion shaft 12 is provided at one end with an arm or handle 19, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, for manually operating the clutch member 10 and connecting the crank shaft of the compressor with the driving shaft 9.

The compressor cylinder has a suction or inlet port or connection 20 through which air, gas or a carbureted mixture is admitted for compression.

The discharge port of the compressor, provided as shown in Fig. 2 with an outwardly opening check valve 21, is connected as shown inFig. 1, by a pipe 22 with a drivers or controlling valve 23, which in the case of an automobile, may be attached to the dashboard, and which is in turn connected by a pipej24, with a reservoir 25, for storing the compressed air 01' other fluid for starting theen ineand other purposes.

he pipe 22 is connected by a branch pipe 26, with the port 17 of the cylinder or chamber 15, and is provided with a valve controlled nipple or connection 27, whereby the compressor may be utilized for inflating automobile tires or for other purposes.

The valve 23, which is rovided with an operating handle 28, and 1s connected by a pipe 29 with the distributing valve ,mecha nism 3 and thence with the cylinders of the engine, is adapted in one position, to establish communication through the pipe 22 between the compressor 6 and the reservoir 25, and in another position, to establish communication between the reservoir 25 and the engine cylinders through the pipe 29, distributing valve mechanism 3 and pipes 4. In its -middle or normal position, the Valve 23 closes communication between said reservoir and both the distributing valve mechanism 3 and the compressor 6, and opens both the pipes 22 and 29 to the atmosphere or exhaust.

Drivers or controlling valves suitable for the purpose are shown and described in my pending applications Serial No. 630,630, filed June 1, 1911, and Serial No. 805,288,

filed December 8, 1913, and the specific construction of the valve being immaterial so far as the invention herein claimed is concerned, further illustration and description thereof are unnecessary.

I Referring to. Figs. 5, 6 and 7. in connection with Figs. 1 and 2,thc distributing valve mechanism for controlling and properly timing the delivery ofthe compressed starting fluid to the engine, comprises radially movable valves 30. guided and provided with seats in the case 31. The outer ends of the valve chambers are closed by caps 32,

are connected by passages 38, with the pipes 4 leading to the'engine cylinders.

The cylinder or pressure chamber 36 is connected, as shown in Fig.1 by the pipe 29 with the controlling valve 23.

A cam 39 mounted on a squared stem 40, which is threaded in the end of the shaft and secured in place therein by a jam-nut 41, is movable axially on said stem into and out of position to engagewith the inner ends of the valve stems and open'the valves 30 one after another against the tension of the springs 33. By loosening the nut 41 the stem 40 may be turned in the shaft 37 and the angular adjustmentof the cam 39 varied to properly time the opening of the valves 30.

A piston 42, fitted in the' cylinder or pres sure chamber 36 over the hub of the-cam 39. engages a central pivot on the outer end of said hub. The piston 42 is thrust outward against the outer end of the chamber 36 and the cam 39 is held normally out of operative relation to the inwardly projecting stems of the valves 30, by a spring 43, inserted between the outer end of the stem 40 and the closed outer end of the cam hub.

The inner end of the cam 39 is beveled so The inner end of the piston 42, when it is thrust inwardl pressed fluid t rough the pipe 29 into the chamber 36, is pressed tightlv against a by the admission of com-- shoulder or seat at the inner end of said chamber, thereby preventing escape of the compressed fiuid through the opening in the case 31, around the cam shaft 37.

The piston 42 in its outer or normal position, closes the passage 35 leading to the valve chambers, and in its inner position uncovers said passage.

In the operation of the apparatus, to charge the reservoir 25, the compressor is started or operatively connected with the engine by turning the handle 28 of the valve 23 into position to connect the reservoir through the pipe 22 with the discharge port of the compressor. and through the branch pipe 26 with the controller cylinder or chamber 15. If there is sufficient pressure in the reservoir, it will shift the piston 14 to its extreme position away from the port 17 or to the left, as shown in Fig; -i, thereby operating through the shaft 12 and its pinions 11 and 13 to-shift the clutch member 10 into engagement with the driving shaft 9. The compressor will thus be automatically started, if the engine is running, and operatively connected with the shaft 9, by the proper manipulation of the drivers Valve, to charge the reservoir. If however, there 7 is insufficient pressure in the reservoir to start the compressor in this way, the piston 14; is shifted manually by means of the arm or handle 19, which is turned to the right or clockwise. for this purpose. When the desired pressure, as indicated by a gage not shown, has been reached in the reservoir 25, the valve handle 28 is turned back to its middle or normal position, thereby closing communication between the reservoir and compressor and connecting the pipe 22 with the atmosphere. The compressed fluid being thus released from the cylinder or chamber 15 through the port 17, branchpipe 26 and pipe 22, the expansion of the elastic fiuid confined in the hollow piston 14, which is sealed at its open. end by the packing ring or disk 18, will shift said piston back to its original or normal position, as shown in Fig. 4-, the confined fiuid escaping gradually through the restricted opening 16 till the pressure within the piston is reduced to that of the atmosphere. This movement of the piston 14: operates through the shaft 12 and its pinions to shift the clutch 10 out of engagement with the shaft 9, thereby automatically stopping the compressor.

T he apparatus may be provided with an automatic pressure regulating device by which when the pressure in the reservoir 25 reaches a certain limit the cylinder or chamber 15 will be opened to exhaust through the port 17 and the compressor stopped without manipulation ofthe controlling valve 23, or attention on the part of the operator.

- Compressed air or other fluid for inflating tires or other purposes may be-taken directly from the compressor by attaching'a hose or pipe to the nipple or connection 27, or it may be drawn from the reservoir 25 through.

the pipe 22 by proper adjustment of the valve 23, when the engine. or compressor is not running.

To start the engine, the reservoir 25 being charged with fluid at as indicated by a gage not shown, the controlling valve is turned by its handle 28 into position to operr commuuication through the pipes 24 and 29 between said reservoir and the chamber 36.

The compressed fluid thus admitted to the chamber 36 instantly shifts the piston -32 inwardly into position to open the passage 35. thus admitting compressed fluid into the vaivo chambers outside of the valves the required pressure piston is at the beginning of its working stroke.

When the engine starts, the valves 30 are i opened one after another by the cam 39'and compressed fluid is admitted into the engine cylinder in the proper order on the power strokes of the pistons. After a few impulses have been. thus imparted by the compressed starting fluid to the pistons, the engine will function in the normal manner, drawing into the cylinders through the carburetor on the suction strokes of the pistons, charges of the carbureted mixture or explosive fluid, which are compressed by the return strokes of the'pistons and fired on their working strokes by the usual or any apparatus.

After the engine is started and functions normally, the valve 23 is turned back to its middle or normal position, closing communication between the reservoir 25 and dis tributing valve mechanism and opening the pipe 29 to the atmosphere. The pressure in the chamber 36 being thus released, the piston 4:2 is thrust by the spring 43 back to its initial or normal position, thereby closing the passage 35, the cam 39 is shifted forward out of working position, and all the valves 30 remain inactive, being closed and held against their seats by the springs 33. Variouschanges in the construction and arrangementof parts of the apparatus may be made without departure from the/principle and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 630,630, filed June 1, 1911.

I claim: 1. In starting mechanism for internal combustion engines the combination of a compressor adapted to be actuated by the engine, a reservoir connected with the compressor, a clutch for connecting the compressor with the engine, a pressure chamber connected with the reservoir and provided with a movable part operatively connected with the clutch and having a restricted leak opening, and avalve controlling the connection between said chamber and reservoir. 2. In starting mechanism for internal combustion enginesthe combination with a rotary driving member, of a reservoir, a compressor connected with the reservoir and having a rotary driven member in axial suitable igniting alinement with the driving member, a rovoir and having a movable member provided with teeth, connected pinions arranged the driving member, a

transversely to the clutch and pressure member and meshing therewith, and a valve controlling communication of the compressor and pressure chamber with the reservoir.

3. In starting mechanism for internal combustion engines .the combination of a compressor, a reservoir connected with the compressor, a valve controlled hose or pipe coupling in the connection between the compressor and reservoir, a clutch for connecting the compressor with a part of the engine, and a manually operated valve controlling communication between the compressor and reservoir. I

4. In starting mechanism for internal combustion engines the combination of' a reservoir for compressed fluid, distributing valves adapted for connection with the reservoir and with the cylinders of an engine, a rotary valve-actuating member connected with the engine, a cam connected with said actuating member and movable axially into and out of position to open said valves one after another in proper order and time, the cam being inclined in an axial direction to open whichever valve is in its path-when it isshifted into working position, a pressure chamber connected with the reservoir and provided With a movable part adapted when compressed fluid is admitted thereto to shift the cam into working position and open communication through said chamber between the' reservoir and distributing valve chambers, means tending to shift and hold the cam out of working position, and a valve in the connection between said chamber and reservoir adapted to open and close the same and to open said chamberto exhaust.

5. In starting mechanism for internal combustion engines the combination of a reservoir for holding compressed starting fluid, distributing valves controlling. admission of the starting fluid from the reservoir to the engine cylinders, a cam driven by the engine for operating said valves, a pressure chamber in the connection between the reservoir and distributing valves provided with a movable part adapted when compressed fluid is admitted from the reservoir to-said chamber to render the valve actuating cam operative, and when compressed fluid is releasedfrom said chamber to ren-' der said cam inoperative, a compressor connected with the reservoir and having a clutch controlled driving connection with the engine, a fluid pressure clutch shifting device communicating with the connection between the reservoir and compressor, and a valve adapted to open and close communication between the reservoir and the distributing valves or between the reservoir and compressor and to open said pressure- 

